Parents and staff urge independent probe into allegations at Endeavor Elementary

Shannon Mayo, speaking for the Endeavor PTSA, told the Issaquah School Board on Oct. 9 that the district’s handling of a lawsuit tied to Endeavor Elementary has left staff and families concerned about conflicts of interest and transparency. "From a human resources and organizational best practice standpoint, we find it inappropriate for someone named in a complaint to oversee the response," Mayo said, asking the district to reconsider staffing the response with an employee named in the complaint.

Multiple parents and a teacher expanded that account during public comment. Tyler Jones, a father of two Endeavor students, said a district email to families—he called it a templated message—was sent by an employee who is named in the lawsuit and therefore could not be an impartial communicator. Jones asked the board for three things: a third‑party investigation into the allegations; the appointment of a person to manage the district response who is not named in the lawsuit; and a clear outline of supports available to Endeavor staff, including anonymous reporting channels.

Lisa Hudson, another Endeavor parent, said public records include an internal email from the same staff member that summarized anonymous staff complaints consistent with concerns now being raised publicly. "This directly contradicts the district's assurance that there has been no evidence of harm to staff or students," Hudson said, and urged the board to initiate an independent review so teachers and staff can share experiences without fear of retaliation.

Board members did not take immediate action on the public comments during the meeting. The public‑comment period is a forum for input, the board chair repeated at the outset; the board generally does not respond during that segment. No formal motion to commission an independent investigation appears in the meeting record, although several directors acknowledged the seriousness of the concerns during later agenda items and asked staff to follow up.

The transcript names the educator referenced in public comment as an administrator in the Endeavor Elementary community; parents cited specific prior records and asked the board to publish what monitoring entails and to provide a clear timeline for any review. The public commenters stressed they want teachers and staff to feel "safe, heard, and supported." The board has the matter on record and, according to later discussion during the meeting, staff indicated they would follow up with further information to the board and community.

Next steps noted at the meeting: parents asked for (1) an independent investigation into the allegations, (2) appointment of a neutral manager for district communications and response, and (3) transparent details on what monitoring currently exists and how outcomes will be measured. The transcript does not record a board vote or formal directive on those requests during this meeting.